Who is left to defend Social Security and Medicare?

[woo me with science]

Who?

Not a mention of the money being poured into these wars. Not one.

Do you mean to tell me that Democrats have really bought into this false choice? Do you really believe that the budget must be balanced on the backs of the poor, elderly, and disabled? Are you really cheering this plan?

This is a Republican plan. It is the Chamber of Commerce plan. It offers tax breaks and more outsourcing to corporations on the backs of the poor. And it is the next step in the assault on Medicare and Social Security.

Why is it being cheered here? Why?

Who is left to defend Medicare and Social Security? Who will defend the lower 95 percent, if Democrats won't?


http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x1905111

[canoeist52]

1. Just One Socialist Senator

[peace frog]

3. and he's getting on in years

When he retires, who will replace Bernie Sanders as the staunchest Congressional defender of Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid?
Who CAN replace the irreplaceable?

[woo me with science]

7. I am hoping Grayson will continue to step up.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x1901665

[Inuca]

8. What would we do without Grayson? n/t

[Selatius]

2. If you wish to keep Social Security and Medicare largely the same, you have fewer allies than before

There's just too much money being arrayed against people who wish to use simple but effective fixes that also won't fundamentally change the programs. I mean, if we raised the Social Security payroll tax cap to, say, 150,000/year instead of the current 106,000, Social Security will be solvent for the next 6 or 7 decades. Most of us would be dead before the issue would have to be revisited.

The issue would be resolved without also having to raise the retirement age for younger individuals or even without having to cut benefits anywhere.

Edited to add: Also, I'd get rid of Medicare Part D and Medicare Advantage. Medicare is more than capable of providing services without relying on outside contractors for certain things (Medicare Advantage), and it is more than capable of directly negotiating bulk prices for drugs with the pharmaceutical companies rather than relying on outside for-profit insurers to do the negotiating (Medicare Part D).

[Hoyt]

5. Get rid of Part D and most old folks are back to cutting pills in half or thirds.

Or just going without and suffering. Prior to Part D in 2006, there was no prescription drug coverage -- none, unless one qualified for Medicaid.

Now, I'm with you if you mean bring it back under government and do some heavy assed negotiations with pharmaceutical companies.

[Selatius]

6. Yeah, it should be able to negotiate bulk prices with pharmaceuticals directly.

That was one thing leftists kept saying when Bush was ramming the thing through. Just let Medicare negotiate the prices directly, but the pharmaceuticals wouldn't hear it.

[indepat]

17. The whole purpose for passing Part D, imo, was to further enrich the

pharmaceutical industry eos, no other purpose. :patriot:

[LWolf]

4. Great question.

Further comment deleted to avoid moderator action. sigh.

[durablend]

9. Cue the "Who said they're gonna abolish them" folks...

Because certainly we're all mistaken (that or "It's the best we can do")

[blindpig]

10. The people must defend themselves, in the streets.

Cannot expect a capitalist party to not do the bidding of the capitalists. The illusion is over, there is luke warm rhetoric for the New Deal more transparent every day, it is in fact 'history'.

Take note of the Greeks, Italians, French, Egyptians. Everybody in the streets, not just once, not for a few hours, not just for a weekend. This is war and is not resolved by one effort. Persistence is a virtue, if first ya don't succeed.....

We gotta get organized, our numbers is all we got.-

[woo me with science]

13. October 6, Washington DC. nt

[Generic Other]

11. Us

We need to fight with the tenacity of pit bulls.

[woo me with science]

16. October 6, Washington DC nt

[Autumn]

12. I wish I could give you my opinion,

but it would very much get me in trouble. The only one I know of who is defending us is a Socialist.

[sarcasmo]

14. The Seniors.

[Shagbark Hickory]

15. Brunch with Bernie time.

[senseandsensibility]

18. Good question. We should be screaming about this.

We need to draw a line in the sand, but even most Dems don't seem to think it's necessary. It's hard not to lose hope.